


crooked but upright

by C0LUMBINE



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Absence, Blood and Injury, First Meetings, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, Painplay, Public Nudity, Scent Kink, Smut, Werewolf Turning, Werewolf Tyler, Werewolves, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 10:12:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16490609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C0LUMBINE/pseuds/C0LUMBINE
Summary: Josh's heart sank when he looked at the empty spot on the couch and saw cushions thrown all over the place. He shouldn't have expected Tyler to stay any longer. He was a loner, he told Josh so when they talked last night. He quit his pack when he was nineteen, and everything went downhill from there.*The one in which Josh is looking for something to remember for years and gets more than he dares to ask for.





	crooked but upright

**Author's Note:**

  * For [headfirstfrhalos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/headfirstfrhalos/gifts).



> hello! this is honestly a big, big mess, but i wanted to try something new, and halloween was approaching so i decided to write whatever this is. please be gentle with me, i haven't done much research and i've never written anything involving werewolves so everything you see here i pretty much just came up with myself. i'm definitely not an expert, i just wanted to fool around here.
> 
> watch out for mentions of hunting, dead animals, blood and descriptions of transforming (human to wolf and the other way around). 
> 
> i'll take care of spelling mistakes, missing tags and all that later.
> 
> jonah, thank you for dealing with me and my dumbassery.

There was something about the month of October that filled his spirit with the desire of throwing himself out there for something beyond human comprehension to take him and drag him away, straight into a world he was unfamiliar with. He craved adrenaline and danger and something, a third option, that he still couldn't fully name or understand. His gut kept whispering at night and trying to convince him that there was something out there, in the darkness of the night, in the mystery of dim lit streets that he had to find and indulge in. It was like a strange, unusual instinct that nobody else had, but him. Either that, or he was just incredibly bored, and October was a special month that was not to be wasted away. 

The need to explore the unknown was a hard craving to fight, an almost unbearable thirst, and soon enough Josh found himself sticking his arms in the sleeves of one of his favorite hoodies and running towards the door. He promised himself he wouldn't take too long to drive around this time, an hour at most, maybe a little over that if he didn't feel too tired. 

It soon turned out that Josh wasn't the best at keeping promises, and he learned that about himself when he realised with overwhelming shame that he had spent exactly three hours driving mindlessly around Columbus, enjoying the emptiness of the streets and the peace that the night had to offer. He stopped by a fast food restaurant on his way, of which the name he didn't remember, because he was sure it wouldn't matter in the morning. He asked the person at the drive-through to recommend him something and accepted the suggestion. He parked his car in the back of the building, unwrapping whatever greasy thing he ordered and stuffing it in his mouth. 

He chewed lazily and let his mind take him somewhere far away. He wondered what it felt like to work so late at night, when almost everyone else was asleep and all the seats at every place that was still open were empty. Seeing 3 a.m. on the clock when visiting places like those, restaurants, supermarkets, train stations and other spots that were usually pulsing with life flipped everything upside down. It felt like entering a whole new world, and it was distorted and suspicious.

Swallowing the last bit of what turned out to be a burger, Josh started his car and continued his unnecessary adventure.

He yawned, covering his mouth with the side of his hand. His eyelids felt heavy, way too heavy for such a thin piece of skin, and the song blaring quietly from the radio began to sound more like a lullaby, doing the complete opposite of what he wanted it to. He needed to stay awake and get home. 

He wanted to rest his head on the steering wheel and let a lamp post or something similar greet him once he looked back up, knowing that it would probably inject some energy into his veins and pull him back to his feet. He wasn't driving very fast, the speed at which his car moved down the road matching that at which his brain currently worked. Driving into something would probably just scrape up his bumper. Instead of doing any of that, he cursed under his breath, trying to summon all the remains of energy running through his body in order to pay attention to the road.

Suddenly, out of thin air, a blurred figure appeared in front of his car, a relevation, a salvation, or perhaps a curse, walking on all fours across the road. It was shaped vaguely like a dog from what Josh was able to see in the dark, except strangely large and taller than any dog Josh has ever seen. 

Josh's canine-related knowledge wasn't very broad, though. He had never seen a borzoi in his life, and he wasn't aware of the existence of irish wolfhounds either. He could probably tell what a pug looked like, and he would definitely recognize a golden retriever, but it didn't go much further than that. So this, tall and dark as night, was just a dog. And it was blocking his way. Purposely. So maybe it wasn't just a regular dog. Maybe it was a dog that knew how to be an asshole and used that awareness to its own advantage.

Josh panicked, noticing that the suspicious animal was showing absolutely no interest at all in moving an inch, standing still on it's paws. The force with which Josh's foot pressed down onto the brake caused the wheels to screetch loudly, the high pitched sound piercing the deadly silence of the night. Josh rubbed his eyelids, just to see if the figure would disappear. It was still there, present. Very present. Standing its ground and not interested in moving out of the way. 

The creature's ear twitched and its eyes locked with Josh's -- yellow, standing out against its black fur. Josh froze up as it began walking towards his car, taking careful, but seemingly confident steps, almost drawing them out. Josh was gripping the steering wheel, jaw clenched tightly, trying his best to stay motionless in his seat. He couldn't tell why, but backing out wasn't an option. 

There was something almost hypnotizing about those eyes and the way the -- the wolf? Yes. After further conteplation, Josh decided that it was, in fact, a wolf. Not a dog. The way it was able to draw all the attention to itself by simply moving forward was strange. Josh couldn't help but stare. He didn't event think about rolling his window back up.

He yelped, caught off guard by the animal's massive paws pressing against the bonnet of his car and denting the metal, sharp claws scraping off the color and making one of those unpleasant sounds that sent shivers down a human's back. Josh watched in silence while the wolf continued doing what it pleased, claws digging deeper, damaging his good, old Volkswagen which he cherished so dearly. 

The wolf huffed, sliding its paws off the car and taking a few steps back, before running away. Josh stayed where he was, trying to process what just happened, grateful for the streets being empty. 

* * *

Last night's encounter has kept Josh awake all night and kept him pacing around his house all day. Maybe it was silly, maybe he should get over it and go on with his life, but there was something eerie about it, and he couldn't pull it out of his head. Simply letting go of that memory would be painful. Josh wrote about it in his journal, just to make sure it would never get lost. If it was only a dream, at least he'd wake up to a blank page.

As soon as the sun came up, Josh reached for the notebook and flipped hastily through the pages, looking for yesterday's entry. It was there. It was there and there was no way to deny it. Unless he was stuck in a dream, inside yet another dream. But that seemed impossible, and a little too complicated for him to wrap his head around, so he swiped that thought out of his brain and decided to take action. Whatever the action was. He wasn't sure yet.

If anybody were to ask him why he were so invested in finding the animal again, he wouldn't be able to give a definite answer. Something was pulling at him to come back and face the wolf again, maybe let himself get bitten just to feel something he never has before. Maybe if he got to feel blood trickling down his calf he would finally stop looking for a thrill.

It was late. So incredibly late that it was early at the same time, minutes running past the third hour, moon so full in the sky that Josh didn't need any other source of light to funcion properly. He decided to check the news before doing anything else, hoping to find an article about a wolf that had escaped some sort of an enclosure, or anything similar, knowing that the middle of a street was no home for a wild animal. He wanted to have a reason, he wanted to justify his own actions with something, anything, like wanting to help. But there was nothing. Columbus seemed to have no problems regarding that specific thing.

__

Shatter. 

Josh bounced up, heart skipping a beat. His hands hovered above the keyboard, bottom lip quivering. It sounded like... a plate. Or a mug, or maybe a bowl, or something else made of glass or porcelain. Josh didn't have to think about it too much to figure out it came from the kitchen. He read way too many ghost stories in his life and knew very well what could happen next. So, naturally, he got up, lifting the chair up in order to prevent it from making noise, and walked up to the kitchen door, hesitant. 

Josh pressed an ear to the part of the door that wasn't see-through and listened, breath hitching in his throat. He heard the sound again, yet another object falling to the floor and breaking upon meeting hard tiles at the end of its journey. He could hear glass bottles shaking on top of a fridge shelf, too. He had no idea what to do. 

Carefully, as to not draw unnecessary attention to himself, he pushed the door open, poking his head inside and trying to look around.

And that's when he realized that he no longer had to go anywhere. In the middle of the kitchen, glass shattered on the floor, fridge wide open and food scattered all over the place, stood a black, four legged creature that Josh was already familiar with. To an extent. Curiosity could kill, but what if the source of one's curiosity materialized itself in the middle of one's house, offering itself, up for investigation? Josh gasped audibly, immediately slapping a hand over his mouth. 

The wolf, distracted by the sound, raised its head from above the scrap of meat it was trying to chew on. Its ear twitched, and Josh couldn't help but stay where he was, even when it turned around and looked at him, bits of raw meat stuck to its nose. Josh swallowed thickly and shut the door as soon as he saw the wolf baring its enormous, ivory fangs in a grin that did not seem friendly at all. He turned the key to the right, pressing his back against a wall. 

What was he supposed to do? A potentially dangerous animal has just demolished his kitchen and was in the middle of devouring his food supplies. But the strangest thing out of all was that it had found him again, specifically him, and decided to barge in his house. 

He rushed towards his laptop, not bothering to sit down, fingers smashing the keys in a way that could never give any coherent results. Google was nice enough to correct his spelling mistakes and offer a suggestion that he was looking for, so he took it. Animal Care Services. He had to grab whatever he could.

__

Crash.

Something fell again, again, and again. Josh could hear claws clinking against the floor and some strange sort of banging, like something being shoved into the closed cupboards forcefully, then pulled away just to be shoved into them again, shelves shaking and items inside falling off.

He tried clicking faster, searching for a number he could call, and just as his finger hovered against the row of digits he was so desperately looking for, he heard the wolf running into the kitchen door at full force, wood and glass shaking violently in it's frame, and it successfuly got him pulling away from the keyboard in less than a second. Then, everything went silent. So utterly silent it was almost concerning, the sudden change. Josh could finally exhale, shaky breath matching his trembling hands.

He got up, chair creaking when released from under his weight. Too loud. Way too loud. He pressed his nails into the palms of his hands, waiting, listening carefully. Seconds passed and not a single sound came from the kitchen, so Josh dared to assume it was okay for him to turn around and face the door again. He tried not to breathe, because, what if the wolf could hear him? What if it was only staying silent to lure him in and then feed on his flesh once he stepped his dumb, curious foot in? He had to consider every possibility. 

He walked up to the door, one hand wrapping around the handle, the other going for the key. Was this the right thing to do? He had absolutely no idea. But perhaps the animal panicked for some reason and knocked itself out by accident. He could just drag it outside, lock all his doors and leave it be. But what if it never woke up again? What would he do with a dead wolf? Should a wolf even be roaming around Ohio at all? 

He unlocked the door and slowly, so, so slowly began pushing.

Josh looked at the floor first, shattered glass, spilled condiments, bones that probably came from the rotisserie chicken he'd purchased the other day and forgot about, paper towels stuck to the tiles -- all that was still present, and it almost made him feel some sort of relief. It was a mess that would surely take hours to clean up, but at least this whole situation wasn't just a figment of his imagination. It actually happened.

He kept looking up, up, up and -- oh. There was not a single sign of a wolf in the picture. Instead, his eyes met human feet, human calves, thighs, and a bare human -- well. He certainly wasn't expecting to see a person standing in the middle of his kitchen, and even if his brain were to ever make him take that under consideration, they definitely wouldn't be naked. Josh's mouth tilted open upon realizing that whoever the guy in front of him was, he was peeing in the trash container under the sink, grunting and struggling to stand still. 

"What the heck, man!" Josh shouted without thinking. The guy turned around at the sound of his voice, hand still on his dick, piss dripping all over the tiles. Josh almost swallowed his own tongue. He could understand a wild animal making a mess, but a human? Doing this by choice?

"Sup, dude?" came the words. The guy seemed completely unbothered. Josh peeled his eyes away from the floor and shifted his focus to the stranger's face. His hair was a mess, almost as if it hadn't been brushed or washed in months, his nails were untrimmed, soft hair littering his lanky body. One of his eyes was of a color that almost resembled the night sky, the other, the left one, was yellow, the pupil dilated in a strange way. Josh didn't like judging people, but this guy looked like he'd spent a month in the wild and just returned. 

"You pissed in my- you-"

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. But, hey, you locked me out, so. 'S kinda your fault," the guy interrupted before Josh could find his words.

Josh looked around once more, before deciding to fully step in. He was still gripping the side of the door with his hands. He narrowly avoided stepping in a huge pile of glass. "Where did that thing go?"

The guy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. They were a mess, too -- almost as if he plucked a few pesky hairs from one of them and then gave up before even attempting to fix the other. "Thing? What thing?" he asked.

"There was a -- there was a wolf, right here, like, a second ago. I saw it yesterday and, uh, I think it's following me," Josh explained, expecting the guy to laugh at his face for saying something so ridiculous. But the shameful laughter never came. Instead, Josh heard a gasp.

"So you remember! I thought you wouldn't. You looked scared as hell," the stranger exclaimed, pure thrill filling his voice. He talked with his hands a lot, waving them around in a way that Josh himself never would, especially not in front of somebody he had never met before. "I'm Tyler, by the way."

"What d'you-"

"We've kinda met yesterday. Sorry for ruining you car, man. And your kitchen, too." The few last words were mumbled, signaling embarrassment. Tyler scratched the back of his head, looking to the side. 

Josh shook his head, still confused. Was he not remembering something? His brain wasn't operating at full capacity yesterday, so for something to happen without him realizing would actually make sense. "Wait, what?" 

Tyler sighed. "You have a name?"

"Uh, yeah?" 

"What is it then?"

"Josh."

"Okay, cool. So, Josh," Tyler began, leaning back against the counter. "That thing you saw yesterday, and today - that was me. I dunno why, but I just- man. Something was nudging at me, I had to stop you."

Josh was trying his best to make something out of his words, but not much was happening in his head. He wished Tyler would just make it simple, without stepping around the facts that he wanted to hear. "Wait, wait. So you're like- like a-"

"Yeah, yeah, c'mon, connect the dots," Tyler encouraged, banging his fist on the marble counter behind him. 

Josh groaned, unnecessary noise interrupting his thinking process. He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling. This guy was starting to annoy him, but he didn't want to be mean. It wasn't in his blood. "Man, can you shut up for a second? And why are you naked?" He was exhausted enough before the whole situation occured. All the fear only added up to the pile of negative emotions. 

"Why aren't you?" Tyler asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

Josh's mouth tilted open. He -- didn't know? "I, uh. I just-"

"When you morph, that's what happens, dude. Clothes don't just, magically appear when you're back in your body," Tyler said, once again trying to help himself with gestures. 

This whole situation was ridiculous. Josh's life wasn't a corny horror movie, but it sure was begginig to look like one. There were tufts of black fur stuck to Tyler's neck, chest, and other parts of his body which Josh didn't necessarily want to look at, just because he thought it was disrespectful. He really wanted to offer Tyler something to cover himself with, but there were too many questions sloshing around in his head and trying to make their way out for him to do anything else than just ask.

"So, you're telling me that the wolf is- is you?" Josh tilted his head. He could feel a strange type of adrenaline beggining to rush through his veins. Everything that had just happened would make so much sense with that explanation taken as the real one. Josh knew way too well what a werewolf was, but weren't they supposed to be not real?

Tyler snapped his fingers and pointed to him. "Yeah, you got it."

"How did you even find me?" Josh asked again. Maybe it was a dumb question, but Josh had no idea what to say and decided to go with the first thing that came to mind. He watched Tyler bend down and pick a bone off the floor. 

"Just sniffed you out, simple," he said, shrugging. He wrapped his lips around the epiphysis of the chicken bone and sucked for a few seconds, before pulling it out of his mouth with an obscene pop. "You have a pretty strong scent, dunno if you're aware of that. It smelled like a coward up in here, so. Oh, and you forgot to close the back door," he explained, exposing his sharp teeth and chewing, clicking his tongue in a way that made Josh shiver. He hated that sound, but there were many other things that currently bothered him more than this.

They stood in silence for a moment, almost as if they were taking a break to sort out some messy thoughts. But truth was that Tyler wasn't thinking about anything in particular, except for how much he wanted to get to the sweet marrow inside the bone, while Josh was battling a storm of thoughts. 

"Is it, like, okay to have a strong scent?" he deadpanned finally. Tyler scoffed.

"What do you think?" he teased. 

"I, uh. I don't know. Sorry, this is just new, I guess." Josh had no idea why he asked in the first place. It was just strange, because he would have never considered himself to have a 'strong scent'. Was it attractive? Was that what made Tyler come back? Was it his cologne or was it something that he just had naturally? 

"Oh, I can tell. But at least you didn't try to shoot me. That happened before." Tyler grunted, dropping the bone on the floor. Cracking it open required too much effort, and he wasn't even that hungry anymore. He had just eaten an entire chicken, and he was sure all that seasoning was going to give him stomach problems. "Anyway, sorry for barging in. I had a bit of a craving, y'know. Guess I'll go now," he said.

"You're just gonna go outside like this?" Josh asked with concern. 

Tyler looked down, then up again, blinking. "Yeah? It's late," he said, oblivious.

"Wait, you could just, like, stay here. For the night. I'll give you somethin' to wear. I'll make you tea. Do you drink tea?" Josh asked, taking a step forward. He didn't want this story to end with Tyler walking out as if nothing happened. If Josh did let it happen, he would be stuck thinking about the encounter for the next few months and blaming himself for not taking his chance to flip things in the opposite direction. 

"Well, no. I don't. But alright. You seem nice," Tyler mumbled, narrowing his eyes. There was something suspicious about that gratuitous kindness. Josh literally had to look down and control where his feet were going, or else he'd either trip, slip, or get chippings of wood stuck in his heel. All that because Tyler was bored and hungry and had a tendency to lose control over the feral version of himself. He could almost hear Josh's blood making its way through his veins and feel his body heat increasing over the time. "You got any heart issues or somethin'? Your insides are boiling, dude," he concluded.

Josh laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, I dunno. I'll be okay." He took a step backwards, not so confident anymore. Still, he was glad that Tyler agreed to stay. He stepped to the side, then, hoping Tyler understood that he was making way for him to finally escape the kitchen and go to the living room instead.

Tyler took the hint, carefully stepping around various stains and other dangerously disgusting things in order to reach the maze's exit. He stopped once he was standing close enough to Josh, grabbing him by the shoulder, nails digging into his bicep. He leaned in. 

"Just to you know, yes. A strong scent is great," he said quietly, before letting go and walking out.

Josh really wanted something that he would remember for years to happen to him during this month. However, never in his wildest dreams would have he imagined living under the same roof with a flesh and blood werewolf.

* * *

"Can you just, like, change whenever you want?"

Josh offered to lend Tyler some of his clothes, although they were far from the same size. He found it strange, the fact that Tyler wasn't very muscular or toned, considering his species. Tyler's entire body was made of soft plush and fuzz, save for the pointy ears, claw-resembling nails and sharp fangs sitting in his mouth. He was the complete opposite of what a person would visualise when describing a typical werewolf, but it was admirable. 

The shirt Josh fished out of his wardrobe was baggy around his arms, and Josh could tell that it bothered him for some reason. He wouldn't stop fidgeting and scratching himself everywhere, so Josh swapped it out for a tank top, which Tyler slipped on immediately. He moved his arms around and grunted with satisfaction, his arms exposed, tan skin on display.

Tyler refused to wear pants. When Josh showed him a pair of jeans, a size or two away from the perfect fit, he batted at his hand and voiced his displeasure. Josh decided not to mess with him and eventually Tyler settled on a pair of boxers. He was finally ready to sit on the soft couch, while Josh was making tea and relax, despite the unusuall setting. He wasn't used to being locked between four walls, and he wasn't used to the whistling of a kettle, which he wasn't afraid to mention, too.

After helping Tyler battle the cons of regular human life, they were able to talk again, surrounded by multiple cushions which Josh's mom bought him for Christmas every year, adding to the collection. Tyler tried sipping on the tea, but quickly decided he wasn't a fan of the steaming leaf juice Josh offered him. He still tried to force himself to drink some, coughing, taking another sip, and then coughing again.

"Nope. Only sometimes, when I'm real mad. But other than that, it happens when it wants to," Tyler shrugged, putting his mug back on the table beside the couch. He sniffled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh. Does it hurt?" Josh asked, curiosity still present and strong in his voice. He was fascinated by every aspect of being non-human.

"Kinda feels like having your limbs ripped out but, y'know. 'S nothing you can't get used to," Tyler replied, shrugging. He didn't mind answering Josh's questions, all he cared about was the spark in his eye that clearly signaled enchantment. He decided to play around with it. "But you know what's the best thing? I get those cool teeth," he said, opening his mouth to reveal his jacked up, sharp teeth. 

Josh blinked repeatedly, still astonished by what was hiding in Tyler's mouth.  
"They are pretty cool," he admitted, and Tyler laughed shortly, throwing his head back.

"Yeah. They can really mess you up."

Josh was sitting across from him with a mug in his hands, observing him from a safe distance. There was no guarantee that Tyler wouldn't morph again, and if it happened, Josh didn't want to get in the way of that painful, chaotic process. If he were to be honest, he'd rather not watch the transformation at all. He wasn't sure if he could handle the sight of Tyler's skin ripping apart to reveal what was hiding underneath. His golden skin wrapped around his frame as it should be was what Josh wanted to see. At least for now.

He was still getting used to Tyler's peculiar scent, feeling as if a wet dog was sitting beside him. He didn't have the heart to force Tyler to take a shower.

"Man, I'm tired," Tyler mumbled, softening in his spot. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he adjusted himself and grunted, eyelids fluttering. 

Josh huffed out a laugh. "I wonder why?" He was surprised that Tyler hasn't passed out hours ago. 

"Shut up," Tyler grunted. His eyes were closed now, breath beggining to even out.

Josh decided to watch him for a while. When he was around eighty percent sure Tyler was asleep, he shuffled a little closer, placing his arm on the back of the couch to avoid touching him by accident. Tyler's arms, as well as the portion of his chest and neck visible were covered in scars of various shapes and sizes. Some of them seemed old, healed and shiny, some barely beggining to cicatrize. One of them was still pretty fresh, pink around the edges and crimson red in the middle -- it was the one on the bridge of Tyler's nose. Josh assumed he must have injured himself while he was digging around the kitchen.

Josh wanted to ask about many aspects of Tyler's life, but he did not want to ask about the scars. He slinked off the couch and glanced at Tyler once more. His hand was twitching, probably due to an intense dream. 

* * *

Josh found out upon waking up the next day and stepping into the living room that Tyler was gone. He had no idea what time it was, but the sun creeping over the windows suggested it was nearing 7 a.m. at most, which Josh wasn't excited about at all. He slept for about two hours, tossing and turning in his bed until he simply couldn't handle it no more.

His heart sank when he looked at the empty spot on the couch and saw cushions thrown all over the place. He shouldn't have gotten his expectations as high as he already has. He shouldn't have expected Tyler to stay any longer. He was a loner, he told Josh so when they talked last night. He quit his pack when he was nineteen, and everything went downhill from there, but Tyler told him that he didn't mind carrying the weight he put on his own shoulders by making a dumb decision.

Josh picked the cushions up one after another, each one covered in hair, or fur, whichever word was more fitting. He sighed, putting them back in the order he set a few months ago to keep things organized. 

There was nothing left for him to do, other than cleaning up the kitchen after yesterday's disaster. He sweeped up shattered glass, picked up scraps of meat, bones and bottles to then mop the floor and slowly bring everything to its default state. 

Josh wasn't angry. For some reason, he couldn't think of Tyler and bring himself to feel any sort of negative emotion. He was just... unsatisfied. Disappointed. He couldn't stop blaming himself for handling the situation the way he did, when maybe it could have been done better.

He was almost done with cleaning up, wiping the counter, then emptying the trash container into a plastic bag and tying it up. Everything seemed to be on the perfect route to settling into normality. He stood back up, bag so full it was seconds away from ripping under the pressure. That was it. All Josh had to do was get rid of it and forget what happened last night. 

He turned around on his heel and almost tripped over the empty container with how fast he stepped back, for in front of him, on the other side of the front door, sat a wolf. Josh recognized those yellow eyes immediately. His pulse quickened faster than his body could register and his face flushed with red. Josh truly thought that Tyler used his hostility and left forever after he got to feast on his food and sleep under soft blankets afterwards. 

Tyler, currently stuck in wolf form, was staring at him, sitting motionless at the porch. His muzzle was covered in blood, some of it dripping down onto what Josh thought must have been a carcass, a fresh kill. He put the trash back in the bin and rushed to open the door, not thinking for a second about the consequences. 

"Tyler? What're you doing?" he asked, trying to push the door open. It wasn't easy with a dead rabbit getting in the way. Josh looked at it, then his eyes locked with Tyler's, intense and serious. "I can't take it," he said. A deep growl coming from Tyler was quick to change his mind. "Alright, I'll take it."

Josh stepped outside to pick the thoughtful gift up, struggling not to get his hands stained with blood. It was still warm, so Josh assumed Tyler must have pulled the last breath out of its throat not so long ago. "Hey, you wanna come i-" Josh yelped as Tyler got up, pushing himself between his legs and almost making him fall over just to get inside. "Kay, I see."

Josh grimaced at the blood stains on his porch, but he'd done enough cleaning up for today. He could deal with this later. He rarely ever had any guests, so it wasn't a big deal. He closed the door and went to the kitchen, rearranging all the items in the fridge to make space for the carcass. He had a weird fantasy of the rabbit coming back from the dead and slipping out of his hands to run away. It didn't happen, though.

When Josh returned to the living room, Tyler was already on the couch, circling around and knocking all the cushions off.

"Oh, no, no, don't-" Josh wanted to stop him, but had no idea how to even start. Not that he could do much anyway. Tyler lied down with a loud grunt, tongue darting out to clean his muzzle off the leftover blood. Josh sighed. "Fine, okay, you can stay here," he said, as if his words were to change anything. He was completely defenseless when Tyler was like this. It was impossible to turn a wild animal into a pet and make it do tricks. Still, Josh was curious what it would look like if Tyler knew how to roll over on command or beg for a treat. 

Josh crouched in front of him for a moment and their eyes finally locked again, human and fearful, canine and piercing. Josh knew that making eye contact with a dog was not the right thing to do, and he assumed that wolves didn't appreciate being stared at like that either. But he wanted to experiment, see how far he could go before things got out of control. He wanted to find out which side of the spectrum Tyler was currently on -- the merciless hunter side, or the troubled, touch-starved, large dog side.

Josh reached out hesitantly, his seemingly insignificant gesture immediately meeting with yet another growl. He paused, hand shaking in the air. Tyler was loud, but he wasn't baring his fangs this time. The vibrating sound continued, even when he rolled onto his back to expose his underside. Josh smiled, gently pressing his hand to his belly and feeling the thick fur under and between his fingers. This wasn't a trap, was it? Tyler let out a loud purr upon the feeling of Josh's fingers scratching just the right spot, rear leg moving uncontrollably. It wasn't.

"You're amazing," Josh whispered, grinning helplessly. 

* * *

Tyler slept for three hours and a couple minutes. He would have liked to get a little more rest, but he was pulled out of his peaceful trance by the painful process of morphing. It happened unexpectedly before, countless times. But the pain was still almost unbearable, even after so many years of dealing with it. When Tyler compared it to having his arms and legs pulled out, bones popping out of its sockets, then flesh ripping atop him, he wasn't exaggerating to impress Josh. It felt exactly how he described it. 

His identity and every single thing beyond his control that came with it was the reason why he was still alone, after all those years. Barely anyone could handle what was crawling underneath Tyler's skin.

Josh. Josh was different, for some reason. He was teriffied, but there was something stronger inside of him, and it was genuine concern. Josh had a soft, kind heart. He saw Tyler shifting on the couch and knew all he could do was close the door and let it happen, because there was no way up, above or around it. He could wait, check up on Tyler in case something went wrong and if nothing bad happened, and he could clean up the aftermath and assure him that it wasn't a problem. The howls, whimpers and screams. That was the worst part. Nothing could be done about the pain.

Once Josh came back to the living room, letting around half an hour pass before opening his bedroom door again, Tyler was back in his body, tangled in the soft blanket Josh covered him up with at some point and snoring softly. The transformation successfully knocked all the energy out of him. Still, he shifted when Josh approached him, peeling his eyes open. The left iris was still dotted with yellow, but almost back to Tyler's natural hazel.

"How was the nap?" Josh asked softly, corners of his mouth raising in a tiny smile. It was an attempt at trying to pull Tyler's mind away from negative aspects of the past few hours. Tyler yawned obnoxiously, stretching out his arms. Josh was happy to see him again.

"Pretty dang good, actually," Tyler mumbled, voice gritty and low, typical for a person who just woke up. "You gutted that rabbit I brought you?"

Josh frowned. "Uh, no? I just put it in the fridge."

"You should to that, then," Tyler advised. He began scrambling out of the mess of blankets and cushions, struggling and getting tangled.

"Kay, I will. What're you doing?" Josh asked. He was unfased by the sight of Tyler's body. Or he tried to be, at least. It was still affecting him in a way.

Tyler sat up finally, scratching his arm. He looked at Josh, and their gazes met halfway. "Going outside."

"Naked?" Josh tilted his head.

Tyler let out a short laugh, kind of like a snort. He couldn't believe it was still surprising. Josh stopped him one time, but that was the only time. He couldn't keep coming up with reasons why Tyler should stay inside forever. "Yeah, dude. It's great, honest. Don't tell me you've never wanted to do that."

"Uh, maybe a couple times." Josh could feel his cheeks growing red. It was weird, yes, but he did in fact consider stepping outside in the nude more than just a couple times. Not in public, of course, because getting arrested didn't sound ideal. But here, in the backyard, where the tall, wooden fence prevented anybody from watching... sure.

Tyler gave his shoulder a gentle tap, urging him on. "Come with me. Weather's great. It'll feel nice."

"But what if somebody sees us?" Josh asked, trying to tiptoe around the topic. Tyler exhaled heavily, getting up. 

"Nobody will, dude. And even if so, who cares? C'mon," Tyler said. Josh stood up, knees cracking.

"Can I just, like, get ready? I've never done that before," Josh asked nervously. He kind of felt obliged to do it, but not because Tyler asked him to, but because he'd seen Tyler naked more times than with clothes on his back so far. He could go outside with him for a few minutes to make things fair and then excuse himself by complaining about being cold. Right?

Unless he started to enjoy it. Then he could stay a little longer.

"Yeah, sure," Tyler shrugged. "I'll be waiting out there."

Josh's eyes followed him absently as he walked towards the back door. He had never seen anybody who possessed such efortless confidence before. It was showing even through the way he walked, careless, slow, as if there was not a single thing to worry about or chase after in the world. Josh was a hundred percent sure that if Tyler was wearing pants, he'd shove his hands in the pockets to amp it up. He watched him open the door and step outside, stretching out once more.

Josh didn't really need that much time to prepare. All he wanted was for Tyler to leave, so he could undress without having those glistening eyes follw his every move. He quickly got rid of his shirt and pulled his boxers down until they made it all the way to his ankles. He picked up the discarded clothes and let them join the mess Tyler created on the couch.

The sudden wave of excitement was swapped out with unsureness and self-consciousness as soon as he saw Tyler outside. But he couldn't retreat now. Tyler was sitting on the grass, picking at the green blades, and Josh was taking his first step, and the rest followed right after, until fresh air surrounded his body and made him shiver. 

Tyler looked up with his mouth tilted open. "Oh, look at you," he exclaimed, sounding impressed. Josh didn't say anything, sitting down next to him instead and curling up on himself. "How's it feel'?" Tyler asked. 

"Kinda weird," Josh blurted out, mouth turning into a thin line. He wished he could be more confident, but something kept convincing him that what Tyler was seeing before him wasn't even close to what he was expecting when he asked him to join. Josh kept glancing at him, and each time, Tyler was quick to stare right back. Josh was unable to read the puzzled look on his face.

"Hey, you can, y'know. Touch me. If you want. I know you're curious," Tyler offered, poking his side with a finger.

"Is it that obvious?" Josh asked. He tried his best to stay as collected as possible, but maybe he wasn't actually doing a good job. 

A cunning smile rose to Tyler's lips. "Actually, no, it's not. I just guessed," he said, struggling not to laugh. Josh was definitely blushing right now. "Gimme your hand."

Josh didn't know what to do. Perhaps he wasn't very good at controlling himself, but if there was one thing he knew how to do well, it was definitely following orders. So, not thinking much, he did what Tyler asked for, slowly moving his hand towards him. Tyler grabbed him by the wrist and pulled it closer, visibly impatient.

Tyler slowly guided Josh's hand to one of his pointy ears. It was the second most interesting thing about his appearance, right after his teeth, so to say Josh was excited was an understatement. Tyler let him feel it with the pads of his fingers and grunted quietly when he squeezed a little too hard. It was sharp, but soft, peach-like. 

The next stop was Tyler's chest, where Josh never thought his hands could go. And yet, Tyler allowed him to trace his fingers down the middle and let him feel the numerous bumps the scars have created. When Tyler decided it was enough, he kept moving downwards, spreading his legs, but he pulled Josh's hand away before it reached too low. 

Finally, Tyler opened his mouth and pulled urgently at his wrist. Josh shifted a little closer. He wasn't sure whether he got goosebumps because of the way Tyler went on about the whole process of exploring, or because it was rather chilly this time of the year.

It wasn't the wind. It was Tyler. It was all Tyler. It was the way he guided Josh's hand, letting go of his wrist just to move to his middle finger. Within seconds, Josh was feeling crooked rows and sharp edges under his fingertips, and he was fascinated. It was all Tyler. It was his lips closing around his finger and taking it in, all the way to the pink knuckle. That simple, suggestive act made Josh aware of their nudity again. He shuddered, feeling Tyler's tongue rolling as he bobbed his head, once, twice, before pulling away with a pop.

"Too much?" Tyler asked, still holding his hand. His pupils were blown, dark hazel thinning to make space for more black. 

Josh cleared his throat. "No, it's good. Really good."

"Want me to touch you?" Tyler raised an eyebrow.

Yes. God, yes. "Please."

"Alright."

All Tyler needed was that single word. He leaned it, pressing a gentle hand to Josh's chest. He was the complete opposite of Tyler, smooth, shaved with care and precision. Tyler enjoyed the feeling of Josh's skin under his palm and loved being able to see the constellations of freckles that adorned his body. Tyler's hand made its way down to his belly, where he stopped to look up. Josh's pubic hair was tickling his wrist and making it difficult to stay focused. He could feel his cock coming to attention and hoped Josh was feeling something as well.

"I wanna do something," Tyler said blankly. He shook his head and met Josh's eyes again. "Can I get between your legs?"

Josh exhaled shakily. "Yeah."

"Cool. Spread 'em then."

Josh obeyed. To make things easier for both of them, Tyler lied down on the grass, pushing himself between Josh's trembling thighs. He briefly calculated things to make sure he'd be able to reach Josh's abdomen without hurting himself, then planted a chaste kiss just above his belly button for good measure, making a quiet sound of satisfaction. Josh replied with a barely audible whimper, which Tyler's ears caught faster than his own could.

"Tell me," Tyler began, leaning against his left hand and using the right one to run playful fingers across Josh's inner thigh. "Why'd you ask me to stay?"

Josh swallowed thickly, failing not to shiver under his touch. He wished he could still see the yellow in Tyler's eyes. "I thought you needed- thought you needed help,"

Tyler let out a soft laugh and pinched his skin. "Really?"

Josh bucked his hips helplessly. "I don't know," he mumbled. "Maybe. I don't- I-," Josh's coherent thoughts melted away the moment Tyler pressed a finger to the base of his hardening dick, pushing it up towards his belly. Josh choked out a quiet sob when he realized that he kept applying more pressure and started dragging his finger up and down, nail scraping the base. 

"Good?" Tyler asked, voice quiet. He wanted to hear every little sound that left Josh's mouth. 

"Yes." Josh nodded hurriedly. He felt himself growing harder the longer Tyler kept teasing his cock. He'd never expect himself to enjoy any form of pain, but something so sharp dragging along his shaft was almost as good as a hand curled around it, if not better, somehow. More intense. It was a promise of friction that never quite satiated the hunger, offering a burning, almost uncomfortable sensation instead. "Yes, yes."

Considering how much Josh seemed to enjoy it, Tyler decided to treat him to some more, middle finger joining the index, both reaching for Josh's balls and pinching the sensitive skin down there. Josh gasped, cock twitching inches away from Tyler's face. He would have felt ashamed, if it weren't for the fact that he was drowning in the newly discovered, addictive kind of pleasure that he was provided with.

Josh smelled like pistachio body wash mixed with sweat, which had a tendency to bead on his forehead, chest and back when he was experiencing something intense, and it was the best thing in the world. All that was topped off with the smell of the wind and pheromones -- the strongest scent among all. Tyler could sense excitement and lust from miles away, so sitting in front of Josh, who was clearly aroused was almost unbearable. Tyler wanted to rut against the grass.

"Pain is fine, yeah?" Tyler asked, shaking with how needy he was. Josh nodded affirmatively. "Tell me if it's not what you want and I'll stop, alright?" Josh nooded again.

Tyler leaned in and let his mouth hang open, pressing his tongue to the root of Josh's dick. He licked a long stripe up the base and then wrapped his lips around the tip, sucking. It was gentle, he hollowed his cheeks a little and traced the slit with his tongue. It was a build up, still innocent and inconspicuous. He gave Josh a few seconds to adjust and gave himself a few seconds to focus on the way Josh's dick hardened in his mouth. It made Tyler feel powerful, in a strange way.

He kept sucking until Josh was whimpering and his fingers were curling, and when he decided it was enough, he sank lower, not opening his mouth any wider to make sure his teeth were dragging against Josh's cock with every inch. Usually, Tyler would do anything to avoid this. Not having to worry too much about his fangs getting in the way of a good time felt like a responsibility taken off his shoulders. 

Tyler swallowed him whole, the head of Josh's dick hitting the back of his throat. He wanted to take a breath so badly, but even without inhaling, Josh's scent affected him more than he had originally expected. With his nose buried deep in Josh's pubes, he kept groaning and bobbing his head until he heard Josh cry out and tasted his come, bitter, salty and better than it should be. Tyler swallowed around his cock and curled clammy fingers around his own. 

"Sorry, I should have- oh. Oh my god," Josh choked out. Apparently, Tyler's dick, when fully hard, wasn't less interesting to look at than the rest of his body. It was flushed, almost red, the tip a little more pointy than that of an average penis. It was unlike anything Josh has seen before. "Can I look?"

Tyler nodded, lips parting to let a quiet moan escape. He began to stroke himself hurriedly.

And so, Josh did. He couldn't peel his eyes away from the darkened tip of Tyler's dick poking out of his tightened fist with every erratic thrust. But honestly -- he didn't even _want to_.  


* * *

Tyler disappeared again. This time, Josh decided that worrying was unnecessary. Tyler was a loner, an explorer, and a free spirit. He couldn't be tamed and Josh had to learn how to accept those aspects of his personality if he wanted this relationship, wherever it was heading, to last. 

Josh prepared a bottle of water, as well as a fair amount of it in a separate bowl. He placed both containers on the counter and went to the living room. But hours passed, one after another, and Tyler still hasn't returned. Maybe now was the perfect time to start worrying. 

The world was vicious, and so were its inhabitants. For some reason, humans liked destroying things they weren't familiar with, before even giving them a chance to present their good side. That's why Josh was scared. He couldn't sit still without Tyler by his side, all the horrible scenarios his brain could come up with occupying him and pulling him away from doing anything. Was there anything that could be done? He couldn't call the cops. They would probably want to take Tyler away. 

Around midnight, Josh heard whimpering outside. He ran towards the door as fast as he could, unlocking and opening it hurriedly. He sighed with relief. Tyler was back. In feral form, again, but he was back. He wanted to open his mouth, but Tyler was quicker, getting up and whining so loudly that it hurt Josh's ears. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"Tyler? Are you okay?" Josh asked.

A whimper, again. Tyler got inside, limping with each step. Josh watched him silently, wondering where he'd go. He closed the door and caught a glimpse of Tyler dropping to the floor and crying out. He sounded defeated and hurt, and Josh had no idea what to do. 

"Hey, don't move," Josh said, crouching in front of him. He tried to grab one of Tyler's legs to stop him from trying, but he growled and bared his teeth without hesitation. Josh backed out, caught off guard.

Another whimper, a louder one this time. Another one followed right after, louder, lower pitched and drawn out. Then came a howl, cracking mid-way, and Josh knew what that sound meant. 

"Shit, shit, shit," Josh cursed under his breath. Tyler was trying desperately to get back up, but a possibly broken bone made it more difficult. Still, he kept trying, and eventually began thrashing around with frustration, growling and hitting everything around him with his tail, legs and head. 

Josh grabbed him by the neck in an attempt to stop him from moving, not sure why he went there in the first place, but he wasn't exactly thinking straight. Tyler used all his strength to try and wrestle out of his grip, but he was too weak to succeed without something else to help. Using a moment of unawareness, he turned his head and sank his teeth into Josh's forearm, successfully getting rid of him and crawling towards the nearest corner of the livingroom. 

Josh probably deserved it. The hole created by sharp teeth and blood oozing out of the fresh wound, accompanied by unbearable amounts of pain -- he deserved it. He shouldn't have tried to tamper with the unavoidable. He sat in the middle of the room, gripping his injured arm as hard as he could and breathing out in short huffs. Tyler, on the opposite side, was falling apart. He was literally falling apart.

His skin began breaking, fur ripping with how hard something was pushing from the inside. His howling kept getting deeper and deeper, but Josh could still somehow hear the sound of bones breaking, and he was pretty sure it wasn't just his own mind trying to trick him.

Adrenaline was helpful in times like this, completely erasing the relevance of pain. Josh watched Tyler's claws retracting and making room for fingers, crooked and painful to look at. Josh was curious about the process of morphing. But seeing it unfold before him in such circumistances was not what he wanted. 

The more human Tyler became and the less wolf parts were left on display, the harder he was to look at. Josh could feel his stomach raising to his throat. For a moment, it all looked like a hybrid, a lab bred creature which ended up being a horrendous disaster stuck in the middle of whatever process it was supposed to go through. Still, Josh's eyes were glued to the disfigured body, knowing that the longer he looked, the closer he was to finally seeing Tyler again. 

Josh's blood has dripped onto the floor and stained his pants. He felt dizzy, his brain disconnecting for a couple seconds. Apparently, a couple seconds was enough for the transformation to come to an end. Josh blinked repeatedly, seeing nothing but soft skin on top of a foeatal positioned body. 

Josh got up, hissing with pain. However, his pain could never compare to Tyler's pain, so he chose to ignore it. Tyler's skin was flushed, raw, and covered with fresh lacerations and bruises. He was crying.

"S'okay, it's over," Josh said quietly, patting Tyler's shoulder. He was softer than ever before, trembling on the cold floor. "Who did this to you?" 

Tyler struggled to lift his head up. His eyes were completely yellow. Josh had never seen them like that. "Sorry," Tyler sobbed. "You're bleeding. I'm sorry."

Josh almost forgot about the injury. If it weren't for the pulsating pain that kept steadily spreading through his arm, he wouldn't even care about it. "Doesn't matter. What happened?" 

"Dogs," Tyler muttered. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, avoidind Josh's eyes. He looked ashamed. "Dogs."

"Did you get in a fight?" Josh asked. His arm was killing him. It didn't matter.

"I didn't want to," Tyler replied quietly. He reached out for something, so Josh scooted up a little closer to help him out. Tyler's fingers tightened around his calf. "Was just trying to get by and- and-" Tyler paused to cough. "Somebody sent their dogs after me. The mean ones. They got me, Josh. They got me."

"Can you get up?" 

Tyler nodded weakly. "I think so. Might need help, though." His skeleton felt as if it was a structure made of foam, with nothing steady to support it.

"I'll help. Just- just try."

Tyler tried. He lifted himself up, head pounding terribly. He sat back on his heels, breathing labored. He looked up and reached out to take Josh's hand. It was covered in blood. Tyler wanted to throw up. 

"Let's get you to a shower, okay? You'll feel better." Josh hoped a shower would help. He had no idea other thing could help pull Tyler together.

The walk to the bathroom felt like trying to cross a desert. It was a never ending path, and neither of them realized when they reached the right door. Josh helped Tyler in, turning the water on and adjusting the tempearture to avoid hurting him even more.

Tyler stood under the stream, soaking the warmth in. He watched the water wash away his blood and go down the drain, swirling around his feet. It was a strangely relaxing sight. His breathing began to even out and his heart was beating how it should always beat again. He looked up, eyes meeting Josh's back. He was looking for something in the cabinet above the sink. He turned around, holding a handful of bandaids, a towel and a roll of elastic bandage.

"I think I'm done," Tyler decided, warm water filling his mouth while he spoke, then spilling out from between his crooked teeth. 

"You sure?" Josh asked. Tyler nodded. Josh tucked all of the items under his arm and reached out to turn the stream off. "Here." He handed Tyler the towel. "I gotta, uh. Y'know. Take care of this." He grimaced, looking at the puncture wound on his forearm. Tyler hated how clearly he could see where his teeth pierced the skin. 

He pressed the towel to his face, letting it absorb the moisture. He wanted to scream until his vocal cords gave out, but Josh has already witnessed and heard more than Tyler wished he ever would have. When he pulled the towel away, Josh was sitting on the toilet board and pressing a wet cloth to the wound. Tyler didn't know what to do, pretending to dry himself off while watching his every move. 

"Should I leave?" He asked quietly.

Josh looked up, mouth tilted open with concentration. "Huh? No, you don't have to."

"You know what I mean," Tyler said firmly, gripping the towel so hard he could feel blood rushing through each and every one of his fingers. "I've been nothing but a pain in the ass, I dunno why you're still dealing with me."

Josh uncapped a tiny bottle of ointment, squeezing it out onto his arm. "I'm dealing with you 'cause I like you." He shrugged. 

"What if it gets infected? What if you die?" Tyler asked. Josh shouldn't have used that word. The only thing Josh should have felt when looking at him was fear and hatred. Something was wrong here.

"Are you rabid?" Josh stopped for a second to shoot him a simple question.

Tyler hesitated. "No."

"Then I should be okay."

* * *

With Tyler, nothing was ever easy. Sometimes he disappeared. In fact, he disappeared almost every single day. Sometimes his escapades lasted for hours. Sometimes hours turned into days, but he always returned eventually, and Josh was always waiting for him with fresh water and a kind smile. 

One day, Tyler greeted him at the door with a kiss, and it quickly turned into a habit. Even when he wasn't currently in human form, he'd find a way to lick Josh's face one way or another. The only time when Josh refused to accept the kiss was when Tyler returned from a hunt, his breath smelling of raw meat and blood.

Josh had to get stitches, but his arm healed nicely anyway. It didn't get infected. He didn't die. 

With Tyler, the feeling that October has awoken inside Josh was bound to last forever, or at least for as long as he was present in his life. With Tyler, everything was more distorted and unpredictable than any of the places Josh has visited while looking for something to eat late at night, and there was something good about it. Life was no longer a stream of routine-filled, black and white days. It was a challenge, and Josh was excited to battle it every day.

October slipped through Josh's fingers like sand. But before continuing to walk through life, he promised himself to turn his hands into fists, in order to prevent any flecks from escaping the grip.

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on tumblr @ joshdunfiles !!


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